Dogs scared by fireworks fill up shelter

Friday

Jul 5, 2013 at 12:01 AMJul 6, 2013 at 9:25 AM

Matthew Allen came home from work just before Red, White & Boom lit up the Downtown sky to find his father "looking very disappointed." The gate had been left open at his German Village home, and his 1-year-old Dachshund, Monte, had escaped. Allen thinks that the sound of fireworks had something to do with it.

Matthew Allen came home from work just before Red, White & Boom lit up the Downtown sky to find his father “looking very disappointed.”

The gate had been left open at his German Village home, and his 1-year-old Dachshund, Monte, had escaped. Allen thinks that the sound of fireworks had something to do with it.

Fortunately for Allen and his puppy, the dog ended up at the Franklin County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center. So did almost 100 other dogs that were spooked by the fireworks and firecrackers that peppered the night during the Independence Day celebrations.

“We’ve had 96 strays since Red, White & Boom, and only six of those have been reclaimed,” Susan Smith, community relations manager said at 6 p.m. yesterday. “That’s not a great ratio. We’d like to see more responsible dog owners here looking for their lost dogs.”

The shelter, which has been expanded, is filling up. A normal day brings about 20 dogs to the shelter.

According to state law, Smith said, the shelter has to hold the dogs for three days. If the canine is wearing a dog license tag, the law requires the shelter to hold the dog for 14 days.

“If we keep taking them in at this rate, we can’t hold them all,” Smith said. “We can’t keep this up too much longer.”

After three days, dogs without tags that have not been claimed will be reviewed for either adoption or euthanasia.

Allen didn’t go to the shelter at first to look for Monte. Instead, he distributed a few fliers in his neighborhood before someone suggested the shelter.

“I had the tags on the table,” Allen said, noting that he had taken the dog’s collar off the night before because the tags were rattling.

When he walked through the shelter, he didn’t find his dog immediately. “I thought, ‘I’m not going to find my dog.’ I was very discouraged,” the 22-year-old said.

When he made a final pass in the last area in the shelter, he found his dog. “He was very happy to see me.”

Smith said people should call the shelter at any time to report a lost or found dog. Someone will answer the phone 24 hours a day, she said. By calling, Smith said, it’s possible to match up lost dogs with owners so they don’t have to search through the shelter.

She suggested that people who have lost their dogs also visit the shelter, located at 4340 Tamarack Blvd., frequently to see if their dog has been turned in. The shelter is open between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.